Join Thor and me as our Hawaii trip continues with an exploration of the Big Island‘s northwest attractions.
NOTE: Thor and I decided on a quick trip to Hawaii’s Big Island to stretch out summer a bit as our gray, rainy Pacific Northwest winter was closing in. The airline and all venues in Hawaii are being super careful with Covid precautions, and it was a wonderful getaway. If you didn’t see my blog series about our first Big Island trip, it started April 24, 2021, to catch up on the full adventure, including a volcano, petroglyphs, snorkeling with wild dolphins, and a night swim with huge manta rays. And I promise I will finish the Retro Italy Vacation series soon.
The vog — irritating volcanic fog — was kicking up during the last part of our trip, as the Kilauea caldera was erupting again, so we decided to escape it and take a road trip around the northwest island loop. Starting with charming small Kona town, we admired the enormous trees:
The colonial-style palace for Hawaiian aristocrats:
At the harbor, activity was still pretty low-key as the pandemic continues, but we scored a delicious shave ice with tropic fruit flavors.
Even along the highways, gorgeous blooms brighten the way.
Driving north along the dry middle of the island, we see the layers of lava flows spreading to the sea along the western shore.
Mauna Kea volcanic dome sprawling in the distance. Thor, in his geologist mode, describes this type of volcano as resembling “a big plop of sticky batter.” Next week, we’ll look more at this raw island’s geology of “lots of lava.”
Approaching the north end, there is a distinct band of green where moisture clings to the hills.
Sprawling cattle ranches occupy the central island, where “paniolo” cowboy style prevails. A joke holds that if the strong prevailing winds ever stopped, the cattle would fall over. These trees “go with the flow.”
Looking southward back along the west coast:
The Kohala northwest area of the mountain is laid-back and sparsely settled, and that’s the way the locals like it. King Kamehameha, who unified the islands, is honored with this community center in the village of Kapa’au.
As with most of human history, the story of Hawaii includes plenty of bloodshed. On the northwest corner of the island is a sacrificial site and altar where tens of thousands of slaves or battle captives were put to death. These were considered offerings to the gods to protect the islands.
On a happier note, it’s clear that libraries and learning are valued here, with the preservation of this historic library in Kapa’au:
My main goal of this drive was to visit Pololu Valley, a sacred place to the people. The roadway became narrow and lush as we drove deeper into the rain forest.
At the end of the road, a glimpse along the wild coastline:
A steep trail leads down to the black sand beach, otherwise inaccessible.
From the trail, a glimpse back along the lush Pololu Valley. “Pololu” means spear, cleaving this narrow gorge into Kohala Mountain.
We settled at this viewpoint along the trail for a picnic:
(I apologize for the tilted photos — if anyone knows a good program for PC to adjust horizontal angle, I would appreciate the info!)
We sat for a long time, soaking in the peace and quiet with only the distant sound of the waves. It’s easy to see why this is a sacred place for the Hawaiians. Looking west across the Pacific Ocean leads the eye and heart toward infinity.
A petition drive to protect this sacred valley from a proposed development: https://www.change.org/p/department-of-land-and-natural-resources-protect-pololu-valley
On the way back up, near the top, we noticed this signpost and offerings. When we asked the two friendly native men, at an information tent on the road, they explained that the sign and offerings were expressions of the local community in opposition to a proposed commercial development of the sacred area. They said that the people wanted this quiet end of the island to remain as it was, though they welcomed respectful visitors. I thanked them for sharing this gift of serenity in such a beautiful place. “Mahalo!”
*****
You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
1 thought on “The Rambling Writer’s Hawaii, part 3: Exploring the Northwest End of the Big Island”